


it’s the most wonderful time of the year

by undodgedbullet



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, F/M, MERRY CHRISTMAS MORGAN, Space Wives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 04:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17155682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undodgedbullet/pseuds/undodgedbullet
Summary: “Merry Christmas, my love,” she tells him happily, feeling so overwhelmed but just so content.“Merry Christmas, River,” he says, grinning at her. “I love you.”(or: a few times River & the Doctor spend Christmas together)





	it’s the most wonderful time of the year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [morganfm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganfm/gifts).



_ one _

 

“Are you sure they’ll be okay with me being there?” the Doctor asks River for the fifth time. They’re on their way to Christmas dinner at the Ponds’ and to say the Doctor is a little anxious is putting it lightly. 

 

“Of course they will be,” River reassures her, taking her hand and squeezing it. “You’re their son-in-law and they love you.”

 

“Yes, but they might not love  _ this _ me. For all I know, they could hate this me,” she argues. River doesn’t roll her eyes but the Doctor can tell she wants to. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, River, but I’ve changed a lot since the last time I saw them.”

 

“You’ve changed but you’re still the same person. Look, Doctor, they already know you’re an alien. They’re not going to be put off just because you look a little different,” River tells her.

 

They approach the front door and the Doctor sighs. “I guess you’re right.” She straightens up, raises her hand, and knocks on the door. They have to wait for a few seconds before someone comes to the door and the Doctor freezes as it opens and she sees Amy.

 

Amy immediately pulls River into a hug and they murmur greetings to each other, and when they part she turns to the Doctor. 

 

“Who is this?” she asks, because she has a vague sense of familiarity but Amy’s sure she’s never seen her before. She turns back to River. “I thought you said you were bringing the Doctor?”

 

“This is the Doctor,” River answers before the Doctor can say anything. Amy stares for a moment, her eyes going back and forth between them, and then she seems to accept it.

 

“Okay,” Amy says and before the Doctor knows what’s happening, she’s hugging her. The Doctor hugs back, shutting her eyes as she holds onto her tightly. Neither of them are willing to let go anytime soon but they hear Rory’s voice and Amy pulls away slightly, still keeping her arm around the Doctor.

 

“What’s taking so long?” he asks, before spotting the person in Amy’s arms. “Oh, who’s this?”

 

“The Doctor,” River and Amy say together.

 

The Doctor gives a little wave. “Hi, Rory.”

 

“Hi?” Rory asks, looking to Amy and River, unsure. This is certainly not the childish bow-tie wearing man he remembers.

 

River nods at him and that’s enough for Rory because he pulls the Doctor out of Amy’s grasp and into his own arms. When they pull away, River tells them, “Why don’t we go inside? We can explain things and catch up.”

 

They make their way inside and they all sit on the couch, the Doctor happily buzzing that Amy and Rory now didn’t hate her. 

 

“Christmas with the Ponds!” the Doctor says enthusiastically. “Haven’t done that in a while!”

 

Amy and Rory exchange a look; this is  _ definitely _ still the Doctor. Amy speaks up, “So, how exactly did this happen?”

 

“Well, I regenerated. Actually, I’ve regenerated twice since the me you usually see,” the Doctor explains. “But I’m a woman now! Isn’t that so exciting? It’s still taking a lot of getting used to but I love it! I’m never going to be a man ever again!”

 

“I definitely approve of you staying a woman.” Amy laughs, shaking her head fondly. It’s still the same Doctor. The Doctor beams and it’s contagious because they whole room feels light and happy. Amy leans forward, finding she rather likes this version of the Doctor. “So, why don’t you tell us what you’ve been up to?”

 

The Doctor grins, not even waiting for a moment before she begins launching into stories about her past two lives.

 

_ two _

 

“Twenty-four years.”

 

River stares at him for a few seconds, and she gasps out a laugh as his words sink in. He gives her a reassuring smile, like he knows how much this means to her, like it means just as much to him as well, and she shakes her head as her eyes fill up with tears again.

 

“I hate you.”

 

He tilts his head towards her, his eyes bright with love, and murmurs, “No, you don’t.”

 

They turn towards each other and it’s just so  _ natural _ how their eyes meet, how their gazes drop to each other’s lips, how everything completely fades away and they both begin leaning in. Their lips touch and it’s like River’s kissing every version of him all at once; it always feels the same no matter what body he has, and this body is certainly no different. She doesn’t know how she’s gone this long without kissing him since she met him, because even before she had realized who he was she  _ knew _ that it was him. It’s definitely worth the wait, River thinks, because even though he has just given her an actual gift there is nothing better than having him here with her. Not only do they have just one night, but they have  _ twenty-four years _ , and that’s more than River ever thought they’d have. 

 

They finally part and River takes the Doctor’s face in her hands, really looking at him in the first quiet moment they’ve gotten since she found out who he is. She leans up to press a kiss to his forehead and his eyes flutter closed, the feeling of this action somehow both calming him as well as speeding up his heartsbeat.

 

“Thank you, darling,” River says quietly when she pulls away and the Doctor opens his eyes to see her smiling at him. They’re once again both overcome by emotion and he sees tears form in her eyes at the same time as he feels them form in his.

 

He smiles back at her, takes a deep breath, and says, “I love you.”

 

She freezes for a moment, obviously caught in surprise at his words, and says back, “I love you too.”

 

The Doctor pulls her to him, his arms tightly around her like he’ll never let her go. “I love you,” he says right into her ear, his voice soft with emotion and honesty. “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.”

 

She leans back a bit so she can look at him and she says truthfully, “I know.”

 

The Doctor can’t help the grin that breaks out onto her face; he’ll never forgive himself for not telling her before this but at least she knows now, and he has twenty-four years to try to make up for all the time she  _ didn’t _ know. He kisses her cheek and leans his forehead against hers. “Good. Because I don’t plan on letting you forget anytime soon.”

 

River laughs and it’s the most beautiful thing the Doctor’s ever heard, both his hearts quickening at the sound of it. He feels lightheaded when he thinks about how he’ll be able to constantly hear it for the next two decades and he can’t keep the smile off his face as River speaks. 

 

“Merry Christmas, my love,” she tells him happily, feeling so overwhelmed but just so  _ content _ . 

 

“Merry Christmas, River,” he says, grinning at her. “I love you.”

 

* * *

 

 

When River wakes up during the night, she spends a good few moments not knowing where she is until she remembers everything that had happened and she turns to see the Doctor, her amazing and wonderful Doctor, laying next to her fast asleep. His arm is wrapped around her waist and his head is buried in the space between her neck and shoulder and she allows herself a silly smile at the situation. She’s about to wrap her arms around him and pull him closer so she can go back to sleep but a voice from the opposite side of the room stops her. 

“River,” the voice says, and River is so startled that she nearly jumps out of her skin. She’s about to stand up and demand who this person is and why they’re here but they begin speaking again. “River, you can’t do or say anything because then you’ll wake him up. But I need you to come with me, I have somewhere to take you.”

River freezes for a moment and she squints into the darkness to try to see this person. She feels her hearts speed up because she thinks she knows who it is. “...Doctor?” she whispers, even though they had told her not to say anything. 

“Yeah,” they answer, and River can  _ hear _ the smile in their voice. “I’ve changed but I’ll explain that later. Right now, you have to come with me.”

River immediately starts to move but feels the Doctor next to her’s arm tighten its hold on her, not wanting her to leave him. She smiles to herself and gently kisses the top of his head, murmuring, “I’ll be back in just a moment, sweetie.” He relaxes and River is able to slip out of his grasp, before leaning back in to kiss him on the cheek, and she turns to the other Doctor, now able to see the outline of her now that she’s closer. Her eyes widen. “You’re a woman!”

“Shh!” she says, grabbing River’s hand, their fingers intertwining the way they always do, and pulling her into the next room where this Doctor’s TARDIS is. She snaps her finger and gestures for River to enter.

River steps in and the Doctor follows, watching as she looks around and turns to her. “You’ve redecorated,” she says, sounding almost breathless. 

“Yes,” the Doctor answers, grinning. “Do you like it?”

River isn’t sure if she’s asking about the new TARDIS or her new body so she answers for both. “I  _ love _ it, darling.”

They stare at each other for a moment and then their lips are connected, the Doctor grasping onto River like she’s waited a few thousand years to experience this again. For all River knows, maybe she  _ has _ waited a few thousand years to experience this again. The Doctor’s hands slide into River’s curls and River inwardly smiles to herself because the Doctor’s fondness for her hair is something that seems to be recurring in all of the Doctor’s regenerations, and this one seems no different. 

They’re both trying to catch their breath when they pull away and the Doctor takes her hand, bringing her to the TARDIS console. 

“To answer you from earlier, yes, I’m a woman now. Sort of.” She gives River a shy smile. “...Is that okay?”

“Of course that’s okay,” River says, shaking her head because  _ anything _ the Doctor could ever be would be okay. “In fact, it’s more than okay.”

The Doctor’s smile widens and she turns to the console but River catches her cheeks reddening. “So! I was hoping I could take you on a little trip. I’ll have you back before he wakes up.”

“That sounds perfect,” River tells her. The Doctor grins and River does too, loving how excitable this version of her is. 

“Great!” the Doctor says, sending the ship into flight. They land almost immediately and River almost doesn’t realize it at first because the brakes are taken off so it doesn’t make the noise. River hides her smile, able to tell that the Doctor is trying to impress her. The Doctor takes her hand again and they make their way outside, walking into a park. It’s daytime and there are people all about but not too many. Snow is lightly sprinkling down from the sky and it coats the ground and trees, making everything that much more gorgeous. “What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful,” River says, turning to the Doctor who is beaming at her. 

“It is beautiful,” the Doctor agrees, not taking her eyes off of River. They stare at each other for a few seconds until River shivers and before she knows what’s happening, the Doctor is already pulling her back into the TARDIS. “Let’s find you a coat. You can’t be walking around in the snow in your nightgown!”

River laughs as the Doctor brings her to the TARDIS wardrobe. She’s gone from having no Doctor to having two and she couldn’t want anything more. 

_ three _

Christmas day has become one of River and the Doctor’s favorite traditions on Darillium which means every year, they go just a bit overboard. River wakes up to the Doctor’s kisses, which to be fair is how she almost always wakes up, but this time she can sense the Doctor’s urgency for her to be awake as soon as possible. She opens her eyes to see him smiling at her and she returns it as he leans forward to press a kiss to her nose. 

“Good morning,” she says. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” he says back. He’s still for a few seconds before he’s already detaching himself from River to get out of bed. She follows, the Doctor’s excitement radiating and causing her to be excited too. The Doctor is always childish but every year without fail on Christmas morning he’s like a four year old. He grabs her hand and they head to the tree where there’s a few wrapped presents underneath. He snatches his gift for her before she can even do or say anything, pushing it into her hands, clearly excited for her to open it.

River unwraps it and opens it: inside the box is a pair of earrings and it’s the prettiest piece of jewelry she has ever seen. 

“Thank you,” she says, pulling him in for a kiss. “They’re so beautiful.”

He grins at her. “They’re  _ sonic _ earrings.”

“Of course they are,” she says, playfully rolling her eyes. She takes them out of the box and puts them on. “How do I look?”

“You look like you’re the most gorgeous person alive,” the Doctor tells her.

“I  _ mean _ how do the earrings look?” she clarifies.

“Well, I think you’d look good in anything so I’m probably not the best person to ask that,” the Doctor says. “But they look amazing.”

“Thank you, my love.” River reaches underneath the tree to get her present for the Doctor and hands it to him. “My gift is actually pretty similar to what you got me.”

“You got me earrings?” the Doctor asks as he opens her gift. 

She shakes her head and laughs. “Just look!”

He takes the top of the box off and pulls out sparkly blue sunglasses. His face breaks out into a grin as he puts them on. “They’re sonic! River, they’re perfect!” 

“I had hoped you’d like them,” she says, smiling as he kisses her cheek. “Sonic earrings and sonic sunglasses. I hate us.”

“I don’t,” he tells her as he pulls her into a hug. “I love us.”


End file.
